God Always Keeps His Promises: The Promise to Abraham

Hey carpool crew. This week we are talking about hope as we travel through the month of Advent all the way to Christmas. I'm Pastor Justin, and I'm so glad you're here. We're talking about God's promises, how they start small, but always grow into something amazing. Yesterday we learned how God chose Bethlehem, a tiny town, to be the place where Jesus would be born. Today, we're going to look back even further to a promise God made to a man named Abraham. Our verse is from Genesis chapter 12 verses one through three. "The Lord said to Abraham, go from your land, your relatives, and your father's house to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you. I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you. I will curse anyone who treats you with contempt and all the people on Earth will be blessed through you." So, first of all, who's Abraham? Well, you first have to know that at the beginning, his name was Abram. He lived thousands of years before Jesus. He didn't know exactly where God was leading him or how everything would work out, but God gave him a promise. God told Abraham that his family would grow and grow and one day through his family line, the whole world would be blessed. That promise, well, we know what it is. It was the promise of Jesus. Hundreds of years later, Jesus was born into that same family line, fulfilling the promise God made to Abraham all the way back in Genesis. Remember, Genesis is the first book of the Bible. So from the very beginning of the Bible, God was already working toward Jesus, already working toward Christmas. If Jesus were sitting with you right now, he might say something like, when I make a promise, I keep it. You never have to worry if I'll forgive you. You never have to worry if I'm gonna listen to your prayers. Jesus never breaks his word. So I want you to think about what happens when you make a promise. Maybe you tell your little brother or sister you'll play with them or play a video game that you don't really like, but that they love. Or it's a promise to your parents that you'll clean your room after you finish eating or after you finish your homework. When you actually keep that promise, it builds trust. People know they can count on you, and that's exactly what God shows us through his promises. He's trustworthy. We can count on him. So when we keep our word, we're showing others what God is like. So how can you live this out today? First, keep your word. If you say you'll help someone, do it. When you keep your word, it shows the kind of person you are. Second, trust God's word. Remember that God's promises never fail even when you can't see the result. God keeps his promises. When God promised Abraham that his family would bless the world, he was already thinking about you. You are part of that story. And because Jesus came, you can trust that God always keeps his word no matter what. Remember, no matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. And parents, if you love today's podcast, share it with a parent friend. Send them over a link and maybe Carpooling with Jesus will become part of their routine too. Now, before you go, answer this question together. What promise can you keep today that would make someone smile? I'll see you tomorrow as we continue through Advent on Carpooling with Jesus.